Corpse Calvacade
by Ptolemy-the-new
Summary: On a trip through the German country side, Ryoma and his fellow teammates along with Hyotei, Rikkai, and Fudomine are stranded after an accident with the bus. Ryuzaki sensei leaves to scout out the area but does not return. Will the students be able to locate her or be trapped forever in the dark? And if so just what will they encounter there?
1. Eyes of the Forest

Hey it's Ptolemy! sorry to those who have read "who you are" because of me being a butt to update, but I'm a working on it. Anyway, I suddenly felt like writing something a little scary! So here it is. I hope it's not too bad, though. Basically Its ur typically cliche haunted house mumbo jumbo, but due to the fact that I like to be as original as possible, it won't be something to scoff at.

WARNINGS: yaoi, lots of it, hopefully. Violence, maybe some gore, sexual content, language, (sheesh I could go on forever?) and some major character deaths. Well, what? I am writting a horror story, so some bro' s gots to goes! Myuah ha ha ha!

DISCLAIMER: the prince of tennis does not belong to me in anyway. Nor do I gain any profits, aside from a few reviews, hopefully?

Chapter 1:

Eyes of the forest.

The rain could not be heard puttering softly against the glass for the occupants on the bus rested soundly. The night, after hours of sunlight, would soon be drawing near over the land of Germany. It was smooth driving as the bus turned and began a slight up hill climb. They were passing through a country side. Germany was beautiful; enchanting buildings with lights and history in the city while quiet and peaceful in the luscious landscapes of the rural areas. A perfect place to visit for the tourists they were. They were all here; seigaku, Hyotei, Fudomine and Rikkai. Oh, there was also, Tachibana An who decided to come along with her brother. They were all slated to compete in a famous tennis completion in a few weeks for the junior leagues in the country. However, since it was the summer, and they still had plenty of time to squander, the few chaperones thought it would be nice to leave the city and venture outwards to see a few historic landmarks of old Germany.

So far, the only historic thing Ryoma had seen were sheep. Lots of sheep. Oh, and grass-there was grass too. And goodness yes! How on earth could he possibly forget the trees? Yes it seemed they were pratically driving besides a forest. As you could imagine the young chap was absolutely _ecstatic_ about a four hour long bus ride sitting on his butt. So far, the most interesting thing to do was sleep, which hasn't come easy since he was seated besides Momo, who sat across from Eiji who was sitting in front of Shinji. Honestly, Ryoma thought the trio could put a whole hoard of parrots to shame. It was lucky for him that everyone had eventually tired and fell asleep.

Ryoma dosed in and out of his own slumber. His head was gently resting against the glass with a small travel bag sitting in his lap. Next to him Momo Sat with his head reclined back and his mouth hanging open wide enough to catch flies. A trail of drool ran down his chin like a dog. The light was dimming in the bus and aside from snores the only other thing that could be heard was the slight humming from Kamio's headsets who was knocked out in the seat in front of the tennis Prince.

_"Il fait beau!" A small child smiled brightly as he gazed out a window from the large mansion. The wheather was beautiful. The sun was high in the sky and the sunlight cascaded down onto all the flowers in the garden giving the yard a luxurious glow."Can I go out side, père?"_

_A tall, muscular man sat around a large wooded desk that was carved from pure mahogany. He looked up from some papers that he had been sorting on his desk with his dark, thick brows. He stared at the child thoughtfully for a moment, stroked his mustache, then gave a nod. "Oui, but do not step a foot out the yard. You are _never_ to leave this place without permission. Am I understood, Mon garçon?"_

_The child nodded firmly before dashing towards the chocolate colored door, but was frozen at the sound of his name. He turned back towards the man suddenly fearing that the man had changed his mind on the matter. "Oui?"_

_"Please take Sylvette with you, she will be most content." The man added before waving the child away and returning to his business. _

_The child nodded once again before taking hold of the brass door handle and hauling the heavy thing open. He quickly ran down the halls and-_

Ryoma was abruptly thrashed from his slumber as he felt his entire body rise and slam into Momo following the sudden swirving of the bus. Ryoma was in too much shock to hear Momo let out a Sharpe curse, as the other occupants were dealt similar treatment.

Tezuka' s head slammed into the back of the seat before him successful breaking his glasses, along with painfully bruising his face. while fuji, on the other hand, who had been slightly leaning out of his seat during his nap, was now sprawled out in the middle of the aisle along with several others. The driver struggled to take control over the large vehicle as it swung violently across the road. Bodies tumbled and collided into each other like pieces in a pinball machine.

Finally the bus came to a screeching halt somewhere almost off the road and into a tree. A large tree branch caused a window near the back to instantly shatter upon impact. Shards of glass flew everywhere. After everything became still a large amount of groaning and coughs could be heard. Ryuzaki sensei was the first to get her bearings back.

"Is everyone okay?! Anyone hurt!?" She exclaimed shakily standing to her feet. Despite her old age she was still pretty solid and didn't look too shook up. There was a chorus of pained groans. She chuckled before adding, "severely?" It was more silent this time. G_ood_. "Well help each other up then."

"What the hell happened...?" Gakuto grumbled rubbling his sore head. He was too confused to notice he was practically sitting on Kikumaru's face. "Eh?"He said finally noticing the red head thrashing beneath him. He quickly got to his feet.

"E-Evil monster!" Kikumaru cried indignantly. Who wouldn't? If they had someone's ass in their face?

"I-Idiot! It was an accident, look around!" Gakuto yelled back angrily. He couldn't believe he had gotten stuck with all these other stupid schools, but Seigaku was the worst. He couldn't stand the other red head. In fact, the feeling was mutual.

Before Kikumaru could retort Oishi placed a soothing, albeit bloody, hand on the acrobatic player's shoulder. "Please don't shout..." He happened to be one of the unlucky ones who was sitting besides the window that shattered into pieces. He had automatically covered his face with his hands to protect it, but as a result his hands took most of the damage.

Kikumaru's eyes instantly became sympathetic towards his doubles partner. "Oishi!" He cried before throwing his hands over his mouth just barely remembering to be more quiet. "Are you okay?"

Oishi replied with a nod and a smile. "I'm fine but..." He trailed off as he looked off towards the others as Ryuzaki was just approaching with a first aid kit. Oishi the ed from Kikumaru with a serious look then rushed to go help his coach aid, or mothering as we say, the less fortunate players.

After recovering Momo was about to curse when he noticed An sitting on the edge of a seat with a slight trail of red trailing down her cheek. He quickly dashed to her aid leaving his friend behind. Ryoma rubbed his aching head and shoulder. "Stupid Momo sempai." he grumbled.

"Are you okay?" Momo asked in an concerned voice.

"...Yeah, just a little shaken up." she smiled at him causing a light blush to spread across his cheeks. "Thanks."

"N-No problem." Momo smiled back trying to play it cool.

"That's enough, idiot! I'll take it from here." Kamio intervened pushing Momo aside. "Are you okay An-chan?"

"Hey! I was here first, flame head!"

"What you say you little thief?!"

"Back to that again!?"

Fuji was sitting in the middle of the aisle trying to stand when Kawamura noticed and quickly went to assist the feminine looking tensai. "Here... Fujiko." Kawamura smiled holding out his hand. To him Fuji always looked like a delicate little creature that deserved to be treated as such. He always admired the tensai' s Grace and appearance, but was always too shy to put voice to such thoughts. "Fujiko?"

Fuji shook his head as if to clear away some of the haze from his mind. He fell pretty hard and he was sure their was some kind of bruise forming on his head plus the flesh on his knees felt like someone pressed an electrical iron to them. He had almost forgotten what had happened then he remembered; Tezuka. He suddenly found the strength to stand, he stepped pass someone besides him and quickly made his way over to his captain who was currently being helped by Oshitari.

Kawamura's smile disappeared as he tried to conceal his hurt at being ignored, which in reality wasn't true, the tensai just hadn't noticed his presence. He was used to it really, he didn't mind. After all, their captain really was more in need of care. Kawamura watch as Fuji _almost_ affectionately cupped their captain's cheek assessing the damage done to his face. He swallowed then turned his head away not noticing himself the eyes that were watching him.

"This is outrageous!" Atobe exclaimed angrily stomping his feet like the diva he was. Unfortunately for him, his companion Kabaji was both a blessing and a curse. He had been sitting on the outside of the seat and Kabaji on the inside while they were asleep. During the crash Kabaji collapsed onto him and almost crushed him to death like a brick wall."Ore-Sama cannot believe something like this has occurred!" Most everyone turned to face the complaining player, as an Atobe, you could expect nothing less. "If Ore-sama was allowed to take Ore-sama' s private-"

"Oh please not this guy... someone please shut him up. My head hurts, but then that means I must of hit it pretty hard.. I wonder if I have an concussion? But then, that would be bad, there are no doctors, and I suppose if there were, old Atobe over there should be seeing one first... but mostly for mental illness..." Ibu Shinji mumbled to no one in particular.

"Ore-sama' s mental health is quite fine I'll have you know!" Atobe growled extremely offended. "As an Atobe Ore-sama has the best health care-"

"That's enough you two be quiet for now-" Ryuzaki began but was cut off.

"Ore-sama almost broke his neck!"

"Atobe!" Ryuzaki exclaimed this time with her eyes narrowing. "All of us are hurt one way or another and complaining about it won't fix anything." Atobe fell silent. "Besides, some people here _have_ actually broken something." She said gesturing to Tachibana, captain of Fudomine, who had a painful grimace on his face. Ryuzaki was wrapping a bandage around his ankle. Every able body in his team gathered around him like bees to honey with expressions of worry on their faces.

Atobe grumbled a bit more before reluctantly taking seat. After everyone was done being checked out they gathered to try and figure out what happened. They were all starring at the bus driver who stood with a nervous and very apologetically on his face.

"So what happened?" Yukimura asked sitting calmly on a seat with his legs folded one hanging daintly across the other. He didn't have a single scratch on him, the only one who was wholly unharmed, thanks to his vice captain Sanada. Sanada had been the only other person still awake on the bus besides the driver. He was silently starring out the window, occasionally throwing a few glances at the beautiful blunette slumbering at his side, when he heard a loud 'thud' and felt the bus go out of control. He had just enough time to wrap his arms around said blunette and cover him using his own body as a shield. Unfortunately for him, he too like Oishi, was one who was seated besides the window that shattered.

Sanada had several cuts and bruises on his face and arms. The force of the glass as it went flying had managed to make a deep incision on one of his arms that was bandaged but would definitely need some stitching later. It was a lucky thing he was wearing his regulars jacket or the wounds would have been more severe. At the very least he was proud he was able to protect his childhood friend, who had thanked him immensely, although he did have a somewhat guilty look on his face while doing so.

"I'll say so!"Momo exclaimed with bandages wrapping around his head. He almost looked as bad as mummy Inui did during the nationals. "Oi Echizen, just what the heck is your head made out of anyway? Concrete?!" Momo exclaimed glaring at said boy.

Ryoma returned the look to his sempai, not only did he really not like being slammed into the older tennis player, or any for that matter, but he was more concerned with the matters at hand. For example, how were they going to get to the inn to meet the remaining three chaperones? Would they be late, and if so how late? Doesn't this mean less time to play tennis? Perfect, looks like he'll be heading back to sleep to ward off the headache he could feel accumulating by the second. Momo wasn't the only one who suffered bandages and a possible concussion from their little contact earlier. Speaking of sleep, Ryoma's mind began to wonder back to that weird dream he was having earlier. _I wonder what the_ _heck that was about?_ then it quickly shifted to Karupin who he hoped his father was taking good care of.

"Well..?" Atobe pressed on glaring at the bus driver with his piercing onxy eyes. The driver was a short, slender man who seemed week and in good need of some good food. If he went outside the wind would goodly blow him over. his hair was a muddy brown that matched his eyes. Over all his was a pitiful looking man who couldn't find a better job.

The driver bent over a complete ninety degrees with his arms still as board to his side and apologized. "G- Gomen nasai... minna."

Ryuzaki let out a frustrated sigh. "Its okay, it was an accident, as we are all aware." she said throwing a meaningful glace at Atobe. He scoffed, but none too loudly. "Just tell us exactly what happened." She continued.

"I-I took my eyes off the road, it was only for a second I promise," the driver paused to try and stop the trembling in his voice. "when I turned around it was just standing there. I tried to turn, b-but it was too late and it hit! then I just lost control and I-"

"It?" Inui questioned pulling out a notebook. He began writing but only with one arm. He said that he was okay but everyone had a slight suspicion his other arm was injured badly. However, he refused to let anyone take a look at it before they were able to visit an hospital. Otherwise from a few bruising and scratching the data player seemed fine.

"Y-yes, I um... couldn't tell if it was er.., a person or an animal." The driver explained looking even more distraught. In truth, the driver couldn't even tell if what he saw was even natural. He was still trying to block the image from his mind. The road was growing dark, but he still saw most of it. It's flesh was dark brown, and its back hunched over as its arms fell loosely to the ground like anchors. It looked wild and even had a mane of hair. Still the most unnerving thing was the lost and untamed look it had in it's eyes that were aglow like hot coal, and yet this creature was unmistakable standing on two feet.

"What!?"Kirihara exclaimed in shock, along with a few others. "You mean we killed something?!" Kirihara didn't seem to have much physical damage done, but he most likely recievered similar treatment to Tezuka seeing as he had a tissue stuffed up one nostril, and his nose was a bit discolored. It was probably broken.

Oishi's face paled instantly, noticing this Kikumaru immediately grabbed his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Hoi, hoi the driver never said that." Kikumaru said giving the second year ace of Rikkai a look clearing saying 'not to fan the fire.'

But of course, Kirihara continued. "Didn't you hear him at all?! we _hit_ something, or worse, someone-"

"Kirihara!" Sanada's voice boomed into said boy's ear. "That's enough." Honestly, Sanada was quickly wishing he hadn't forgotten to pack his pain killers, for he was certain Kirikara's stupid lack of tact would give him a deadly headache. That boy would be the death of him.

"But-" Kirihara tried to protest but was interrupted Inui.

"There's an 87.5 percent chance what we hit was an animal. there shouldn't be any people living around here for the next couple of miles."

Everyone in the vehicle seemed to visibly relax at the sound of Inui's words. Still, animal or person this was a serious matter.

"Only 87.5 percent?" Ryuzaki sensei asked.

Yanagi nodded. "Well, you can never tell with these rural folks, building houses or farms up on the hills somewhere." the other data player clarified for Inui. He then went on to explain an endless notion of statistics in farming, which would have not only end up just confusing them but boring them all to death as well. Thank goodness for Ryuzaki sensei and her intervention.

"...Well, whatever it was we better go check that its not hurt or worse..." She said standing and heading to the door of the bus. "Atobe, Fuji, see if you can contact Sakaki sensei and the other chaperone who are waiting for us at the inn. Let them know the situation and see if they can get us some help. I'm almost certain this bus is done for, and even if it wasn't it wouldn't be safe driving in it in this condition." She turned to the driver. "Open the door and follow me. show me where you hit it."

The driver nodded then followed Ryuzaki sensei out the bus.

"This is such a pain." Atobe grumbled trying to dial his coach's number on his cellphone along with Fuji.

"When we get back I'm going to take a nice warm bath." Momo sighed turning and beginning a conversation with Oshitari about tennis skills. Ryoma on the other hand promptly relaxes back into his seat. Apperently they wouldn't be going anywhere for now. He turned and gazed out the window and into the trees outside. The rain had briefly settled into a light sprinkle which caused the earth outside to looked moist. He didn't know why but for some reason he couldn't take his eyes of the cluster of trees. It was like there was something... cloaked in its thick branches.. something... strangely present? As if it the forest had a life of its own, as if it was calling, listening, _watching_-

A dark shadow suddenly dashed swiftly throw the trees, causing Ryoma to gasped as his eyes made contact with something that had orbs like fire.

BEEEEP...

Ryoma jumped about three inches off his seat. He turned to see Fuji pursing his lips in displeasure and Atobe with a frown on his face as they both gazed at their cellphones. "Its still not going threw, there's no signal."

"Hm? Echizen what's gotten into you?" Momo asked starring down at the startled eyes of the ebony, green-tinted hair boy. It took Ryoma less than a second to regain his composer.

"Nothing... Momo sempai." Ryoma replied, turning back to face the window before pausing and thinking better of it. Instead he kept his eyes now facing forward, away from the window and the prying eyes of Momo.

Momo kept his eyes on the boy a bit longer before returning to his conversation with Oshitari.

_Stupid Germany_... Ryoma thought to himself.

* * *

Ryuzaki sensei walked around the bus quickly with the driver right on her heels. She paused in shock as she reached the front of the bus. The frontal lower section of the bus was smeared with a dark red-brown substance. "Oh hell." The words slipped from her mouth even before she could stop them. She didn't like using bad word while among her students, but hell was the only thing she could think of to describe such a sight.

"W-What is that...?" The driver managed to say as he caught his breath, and pointed to hints of a bizarre greenish liquid mixed into the suspicious substance, that could only be one thing.

That, she did not have the answer to. She thought to touch it for a second, but some better part of her decided against it. "If that amount on the bus is anything to go by, whatever it was that we hit should probably still be there." She said as her voice fell to a soft almost inaudible whisper.

The duo left the front of the bus and ventured a little further back from the crash to the supposed it site where the initial hit took place. There were a few puddles on the ground. the smell of grass and herbs were overpowering. there was an almost endless landscape of trees. still, in spite of the rain, and damped soil, there was something else, a weird scent in the air besides nature itself. Something neither of the two could describe, maybe It was because of the thing they hit, or even just trauma from the crash, but there was definitely something foul in the air.

After walking what felt like several yards they came to a place on the ground that had more of the same substance painted across the concrete. it wasn't a pretty sight, and anything that lost so much bodily fluids should either be dead or unable to move, yet there was nothing besides the red-brown liquid that was evidence that something had once been there.

"Something is wrong..."

There was a suddenly ruffling of leaves. Both adults swiftly turned to see nothing but the mouth of the forest starring back at them.

"What was that?" The driver asked in a trembling voice. the little light that was they had was practically gone, and here they were alone in the middle of nowhere. Instead of responding to the man Ryuzaki pulled out her cellphone to call Atobe to see if he reached anyone yet but soon found out there was no signal. This wasn't good.

"Driver, please return to the students and tell them that I'll be back. keep them safe and make sure they stay out of trouble okay? there are some very responsible ones there, but just incase, your in charge."

"What me!?" The driver couldn't believe his ears. He who couldn't even get a job as an elementary school janitor, was being told to keep an eye on middle school students?! "No, I cant!" He objected with a frown before adding, "and where are you going?"

"I'm going to go and check the area to see how far we are from a town or village." She said walking towards the mouth of the forest. "Besides, if what we hit is still near by it needs help." she paused and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll be back in twenty minutes, and if I don't find anything by then I'll just try again in the morning when its lighter out, okay?"

"But..." The driver tired to protest but she had already disappeared into the foliage of the trees.

He gulped then ran back towards the bus of students.

* * *

It had been about an hour since the driver had returned and there was no sign of Ryuzaki sensei at all. The last recesses of sunlight had long disappeared behind the horizon and everywhere was completely black. There wasn't even a single street lamp to give some illumination to the pitch darkness that had surrounded the group of students and one driver. The only source of light they had were their cellphones, and with no electricity to charge them only god knows how much longer they would all last.

"You know..." Kirihara began. "I saw this once in a movie."

"Really now?" Atobe spat unable to hide his contempt at the situation. However, the scowl on his face was hidden in the dark.

"Yep, it started just like this... only after the bus crashed the radio began to play." He said trying to make his voice sound as eerie as possible.

"And?" Momo asked sarcastically. No one was really in the mood for this.

" a song began to play, 'Jeepers... creepers.. where'd you get those peepers?'" he sang, " Jeepers... creepers... where'd you get those... ey-' "

Sanada promptly threw what sounded like a bag at Kirihara's head, but due to his lack of sight whatsoever it connected with his face. Kirihara's let out a loud cry of pain. "My nose!" If it wasn't broken before it certainly was now.

"This is bad. Didn't that guy say your coach said she'd be back in twenty minutes if she didn't find anything?" Tachibana said to who he was guessing was Tezuka. He had been sitting near the Seigaku captain before all the light disappeared.

"It hurts I think I'm bleeding again!" Kirihara continued to cry.

Tezuka was about to nod but realizing it was useless he spoke. "Yes, I do believe something's wrong."

"We should go look for her." Ryoma said suddenly joining the conversation. It startled the others seeing as it had been quite some time since the Seigaku national's champion spoke.

"Thank goodness, I thought you were hurt." Oishi breathed.

"Or just sleeping..." someone spoke sounding like Atobe. _the lazy brat_

It was no secret that Ryoma had a knack of lazily drifting off to sleeps at times when he should be paying attention.

Ryoma ignored his vice captain along with the other voice and continued to press the matter at hand. "I know we were all thinking it. its way too late for her to be out there like this alone."

"Oh god its dripping, Yukimura...!" Kirihara whined.

"Saa, Echizen really is considerate?" Everyone could tell the tensai was smiling and likely trying to ignore the shrieking voice of Rikkaidai's junior ace.

If it were any other time maybe Ryoma would have felt embarrassed by Fuji's teasing, but the truth was he had a really bad feeling. one he couldn't explain, all he knew was they needed to find their coach and fast.

Yukimura stuffed one of his handkerchief in Kirihara's hand to shut him up.

"I'm in." Momo declared.

"M-Me too." Kawamura insisted.

"I guess Ore-sama will go along too. if Ore-sama spends five more seconds on this trash heap Ore-sama will jump out the window." Atobe said running a hand through his hair. "Kabaji too."

"Fine," Tezuka agreed. "I also want Oishi, Oshitari and Sanada if he's willing." Tezuka declared. Sanada said yes. "And the rest of you stay put."

"Wait what? No!" The driver declared. He couldn't believe his ears. Were these supposed to be the responsible ones? "You cant go out there, its black as the dark ages out there!"

"I'm coming too." Fuji stated more than asked.

"Me too." Ryoma added. "I have to."

"Look brat, the tensai's one thing, but what can you do?" Atobe asked running out of patience.

They all continued ignoring the driver.

"Listen to me! I am the adult here!" The driver said trying to sound as demanding as possible. All the students turned to him and suddenly he felt like he was breathing water instead of air. "You guys cant... no matter what. it's dangerous."

"It doesn't matter, she's our coach, we cant leave her out there all alone. What if she's hurt!" Momo exclaimed.

"Still its-"

"With all due respect," Yukimura interrupted his voice cutting through everyone else's like glass. "We understand what your saying but unless you plan to go look for her yourself then I suggest you either accompany them or remain silent."

everyone was speechless, even the ever narcissistic Atobe Keigo.

"Well said." Yanagi said breaking the silence.

The driver had nothing else to say. why did he care again what these kids do? He wasn't responsible for them, he was just here to do his job and drive a bus! but then again who crashed it in the first place? Besides... isn't it the humane thing to do? _damn my good conscience!_ The driver thought.

"While you think it over, we'll be on our way." Tezuka said as he and the decided ones stood to their feet and began exiting the bus. Still, Fuji and Ryoma were not allowed to go.

* * *

it had been about fifteen minutes since the first group left in search of Ryuzaki sensei. Finally with a stretch, Ryoma got to his feet.

"Hm, whose that?" a voice asked as the sound of shuffling could be heard.

Fuji smiled. "About time." He stood and followed Ryoma to the front of the vehicle.

"Wait Fuji, Echizen!" Bunta Marui called. "Your not actually going after them are you?"

"Do you have to ask?" Tachibana sighed struggling to stand, Kamio was instantly, albeit after a tripping a few times, at his captains side.

"T-Tachibana you shouldn't be waling on that ankle." Kamio insisted.

"Eh? You too Tahcibana!?" Kikumaru exclaimed.

"I guess it can't be helped." Yukimura stood. "Ne, mind if I come along?" He said with a smile as if anyone would dare tell the child of god 'no'.

"Its only natural if I go too," Inui added after a moment. there's no point in staying seeing as there's a 98 percent chance Kikumaru will also want to go to be with Oishi, and since Kaido couldn't come on the trip to Germany it would be disrespectful to my team and coach if I'm the only Seigaku member who remains behind."

"Nya! Lets go Inui!" Kikumaru cheered.

"What about the driver?" Kirihara asked his first sensible sentence since this entire thing occurred.

"I'll go too." The driver said suddenly surprising the tennis players. "Y-You see, I've been concerned since the first group left, and if you guys refuse to stay put then its pointless to stay here, I mean so long as the rest stays behind."

Fuji smiles. "Then its decided."

"Have you all lost your minds? Your not seriously going to go wondering around like bats without a sonar in the dark are you?" Marui Bunta insisted.

"Aren't you worried about your vice captain?" Shishido asked.

"Yeah... but haven't you guys seen Scooby doo?!" Marui insisted folding his arms. " what's the use in splitting up? we should at least wait till its lighter out to search."

Ryoma had had enough. He'd been standing there too long listening to the players bicker. "Ja." He finally said before stepping out the door and into the mysterious night. Fuji and the other players who decided to go including the driver quickly followed.

"O-Ochibi" Kikumaru yelled as he ran after the boy. "Chotto matte!"

And with that the second group of boys: Ryoma, Fuji, Yukimura, Tachibana with the aid of Kamio, Eiji, Inui, An, Ibu, Kirihara and the driver; left.

* * *

"This is ridiculous!" Marui called ten minutes after the second group were gone. "Lets go already!" He yelled to the remaining members knowing that they were all going to decide to leave too at any second. They all left the old bus and ventured into the darkness of the night.

"You know..." Shishido said suddenly as they small group of boys began hiking up the hill in the dark. He could feel his foot sinking a bit into the soil from the rain that had fallen earlier. "I can't help but feel as if we've forgotten something?"

"Hmp? Why do you say that?" Ohtori asked.

"Idont know... call it a hunch?"

Back on the bus the doors had creaked shut as the final group had left. Akutagawa Jirou was snoozing comfortably under the seat in the very back of the vehicle in blissful ignorance. The only sound was that of the young tennis player snoozing in his little niche.

"Nah.. it's probably nothing." Shishido finally said giving up and following the others.

* * *

"Ore-sama is furious!" Atobe yelled. "We've been wondering aimlessly in the darks for hours and haven't seen heads or tails of Ryuzaki sensei!" He looked to Kabaji. "Right?"

Though Kabaji couldn't make out Atobe in the dark it was obvious there was only one peson he every really asked that one word to so he answered. "Usu."

Momo as much as he didn't like siding with the diva knew he was right, and it wasn't just because he had ran into his seventh tree since night, no Atobe was just making sense.

"I guess it is futile, seems that driver was right, its too dark too see anything, and even if Ryuzaki sensei was laying out cold right now at our very feet we wouldn't even be able to tell." Oshitari said in agreement.

"But we do have these..." Oishi said turning on his phone scene as if desperate to continued the search.

Atobe scoffed. "Save your battery, you might need it to make an SOS call tomorrow."

Through out the entire spat Sanada and Tezuka were silent.

"Tezuka?" Oshitari finally asked taking notice. "Is something the matter?" Well other than the obvious dilemma.

"yes..." Tezuka breathed looking around.

"So you noticed too, Tezuka?" Sanada finally spoke up.

"What? Notice what? I don't get it?" Momo said in confusion.

There was an audible gasp. "Oshitari..?" Oishi guessed.

"I see, I cant believe I didn't notice it sooner."

* * *

The minute Ryoma set foot onto the forest soil his head began to pound as if someone had been using it as a drum. He felt sick to his stomach like he was ready to puke. it took everything he had not to turn around and abandon his quest to find Ryuzaki sensei and locate his friends right then and there. Suddenly a four hour long bus ride couldn't look more appealing.

"Echizen... are you okay?" Both Yukimura and Fuji couldn't help but notice the heavy panting coming from said boy.

"Fine... just rest." Ryoma said feeling around for a solid surface and sighed in relief once he felt the rough bark of a tree. He leaned his back against the cool, damp wood and closed his eyes.

"Do you think the others are nearby?" Eiji asked. He had, after being surrounded by pure darkness for so long, began clinging to Fuji's arm. "Nya! it's creepy out here Fujiko!"

"Strange... its so silent. so very silent. I wish something would make some noise, like on my camping trip, ah.. the nature there was very beautiful. but the food, my word, you'd think they had taste buds. buds are what help us no? like when they give life to beautiful flowers, which in turn, gives beauty to nature. Ah.. the circle of life." Shinji was over squatting by some bushes pulling at some weeds on the ground.

Kirihara sweat dropped. "Just what is he mumbling about now? somebody ought to stuff a tennis ball down his throat."

"He's right..." Inui said adjusting his glasses. Everyone besides Shinji and of course Ryoma turned their attention towards his voice.

"We should stuff a tennis ball down his throat?" Kamio looked in the general direction of Inui with surprise and disbelief, was someone actually agreeing with Kirihara?

"No. I meant their isn't a single sound of an animal or insect around." Inui explained.

Fuji raised one brow as he and the others finally looked around as it dawned on them. Not the hooting of an single owl, or twittering of a bird, or scurrying of squirrel. at the very least they should have been able to hear crickets if anything, but they didn't. it was silent, deathly silent. How ironic, it was a forest without life.

_"Strange... this forests its so... so unnatural?" Ryuzaki sensei murmured to herself. She was starting to get the creeps. She never intended to be wondering around this place for so long and so far she hadn't spot anything dying or in need. "What the_ devil_ is going on here?" She was lost. it had been thirty minutes since she had given up and tried finding her way back but it was like she was trapped in this empty void of nothingness. As if the darkness it self had ceased hold of her and was refusing to part. _

_Suddenly the sound of crushing leaves could be heard. She was about to call out, _maybe someone had come looking for her_, she thought,_ _but then something in her caused her voice to freeze in her throat. There was something off about the sound of the crunching leaves as they grew louder and louder. the pattern of the foot falls were clumsy and slow. she stood feeling as if her feet were cemented to the ground despite every sense in her body telling them to move-to run. then all at once, like the calm before the storm, they stopped and she was once again surrounded in silence. _

_It remained that way for about five seconds when she remembered to breathe. Then just as she let out her breath she was met with two burning eyes! She was so shocked, so frightened that when the hidden creature seemed to lunge at her she was petrified. At the very last second when the much need adrenaline kicked in it was already too late. She gave a mighty jump, a jump so mighty you'd think she was still a young adult, but it was useless. She felt the thing grab hold of her and it didn't feel like any animal or creature she'd ever known. She whipped out her cell phone as a last attempt to get help completely forgetting there was no service. The device slipped from her hands as her scalp was torn from her head. hot red liquid sprinkled from her open wound as her phone fell besides the trunk of a tree. _

_she screamed the loudest she had ever done in her entire life as her limbs flailed from severe injury. The pain was excruciating, but it didn't stop there. The creature, as if annoyed with her shrieking, cracked her head open like a raw egg exposing her brain. her eyes rolled to the back of her head as blood ran from her body and seeped into the soil. She went still. The creature took her-_

Ryoma's eyes flew open as he let out a sudden gasp. H began panting heavily.

"Oi... Echizen!" Tachibana called out to him but he was in so much shock he could barely breath. "Quick, someone help him, I think he's hyperventilating."

If Fuji wasn't busy being restrained by Eiji he would of instantly been at Ryoma's side, instead, it was Yukimura.

"Echizen... calm down breath..." Yukimura said in a soothing voice as he approached the poor boy, it took him only a brief moment to find him in the dark. gently, he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and pressed him to his chest In a warm hug. "There... calm down now." He cooed into Echizen's ear as he massaged circles around the boy's back.

"Sheesh, what's with him? Acting like a baby all of a sudden?" Kirihara said in a mocking tone. Really, _why was Yukimura suddenly giving him all the attention? _He thought.

"Hm... I don't know what but something is affecting the animal populace around here. Its most likely an abiotic limiting factor or something new in the environment." it cant be some kind of predator seeing as there were plenty of sheep and other animals a few miles from this place." Inui began speculating out loud.

"R-Ryuzaki... sensei..." Ryoma said as for the one of the very first times there were tears in his eyes, lucky for him it was too dark for the others to notice, otherwise, he probably wouldn't have been able to live this down.

An didn't like the way the other players were acting. it was too late, too dark for them to start freaking out. She wanted to go back to the bus, she shouldn't have tagged along. In fact, she would have stayed put if it wasn't for her brother who insisted on going along, in spite of being injured. "I don't like it out here..."

"Agreed..." said the bus driver whose, unknown to everyone else, eyes were darting back and forth as if he expected something to jump out of the dark and grab him.

"Y-Yes Echizen we'll find her." Yukimura continued to say soothing things as he realized the boy's breathing was finally back under control. Ryoma pulled himself away from Yukimura's warm grasp, he missed the embrace almost instantly, however he couldn't think exactly why. "Echizen?" Yukimura called with worry in his voice. He was beginning to believe coming out here wasn't such a good idea.

_It was just a dream. _Ryoma tried to tell himself over and over again as he tries to stand erect, but for some reason idea wouldn't stick. It wasn't that he really cared much about Ryuzaki sensei, she was old, and people die all the time, _especially_ old people. What actually broke him had more to do with the matter of her death that anything else. It was so painful, so brutal, so cruel! But it couldn't be real, it's impossible for people to dream about past and or future events. Then, he automatically began leaning back against the tree. It was like some invisible force was guiding him and soon he was kneeling at the trunk, and almost instinctively he reached down and felt the abandoned cell phone. "Ha ha ha ha ." Ryoma chuckled out loud as he grasped the object. This had to be a joke, only, it wasn't funny at all.

The others stood in surprise and a little apprehension as the sudden and clear edge to the boy's laughter pierced their ears. The last thing they needed was someone loosing their minds.

"Ochibi...?" Kikumaru said with a slight tremor in his voice. After he spoke Ryoma instantly fell silent.

"Look." He said out of nowhere after a while causing the others to jolt a bit.

"What is it...?" An asked curiously as she drew closer to who she hoped was her brother or Kamio.

Fuji supplied his screen light from his cellphone. It took them a small moment to locate Ryoma by the glow of the light and another to locate the object he held outstretched in one hand. Ryoma had turned away once the light shone, taking care not to allow anyone to see the faint traces of tears on his pale cheeks. That being said, he didn't see the bits of Fuji's face as he released a pained gasp.

"A cellphone?" Kamio asks noticing the slight splatter of a rusted red color on the shell the electronic. Something inside his stomach began to turn. it was a little obvious to everyone what that could be.

"Th-Thats Ryuzaki sensei's!" Kikumaru exclaimed in shock. "So-so... that means she's been here, right?" He paused noting the slight bits of dark substance on the phone but ignored it. " she's near by, right?"

Fuji was about to assure the acrobatic player that everything would be fine and that maybe Ryuzaki sensei was hurt and dropped the item, and that she was okay He was instead cut off by Ryoma who opened the phone and turned on the screen light. it was dull as he held it towards the ground. At first no one understood what the tennis champ was doing but then there eyes followed the boy's movement. That moment every breath froze. The ground beneath them was soaked full in a dark substance. It was barely visible, and maybe it would have remained a mystery if Fuji hadn't kneeled to the ground and sampled some of the dirt on his fingers. Everyone gathered around and watched under the dim, screen light as the color on the tensai's fingers went from a dirt brown to a more noticeable red.

"Holy crap." Kirihara breathed and just like that there was a loud, blood chilling scream that echoed across the forest catching them all off guard. An was so surprised that she let out a terrified yelp. Everyone froze; the beat of their hearts echoing in their ears.

"We need to get the_ hell_ out of here." Tachibana said in a stern voice.

They all broke out in a run.

* * *

somewhere else in the forest Tezuka and the others stood in shock.

Aloud horrifying scream was just heard as the group was trying to find their way back to the bus. Oishi and the others all sprouted a look of surprised on their faces although it was too dark to see.

"W-What the hell, who was that!?" Momo exclaimed." I think I just heard An!" The dunk player sprang to his feet ready to take off.

Tezuka's eye's narrowed along with Sanada's.

"Those idiots! I thought we told them to stay put."

"Ore-sama just knew that brat was too stubborn."

"We need to find them, lets go." Tezuka said as they also broke off into a run also.

* * *

Marui could feel his breath growing more rapid and erratic as he ran blindly through the darkness. The adrenalin in his body and the fear in his chest wouldn't allow him to slow down no matter how many times he stumbled and fell. He didn't even know where any of the others were, everything had happened so fast that everyone had scattered after that thing appeared.

Shit. shit. shit.

He couldn't get the memory out his god damn head! They were all just quietly walking together; chatting to take their minds off the darkness and the current situation. Then, out of nowhere they heard Shishido cry out, it was brief, and it ended almost as quickly as it had began. The group had froze and turned around but of course it wasn't like they could see anything. Yanagi was the one who called out.

"Shishido?"

But there was no answer.

"Shisido kun...?" Ohtori had said next using his eyes to try and search the darkness as if he would be able to see if he tried hard enough.

There was another moment of silence until they heard a weird slopping sound. It was like the sound you hear when a wild animal was devouring it's kill. No one said anything, there was, fore some reason, a sense of dread in the air. No one would speak, as if breaking the silence would all but simultaneously trigger something of despicable evil.

"...Enough games shishido kun... we're lea..." Yanagi's voice was cut off by the sight of two red orbs that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and pierced the darkness. He couldn't stand the sudden tenseness in the atmosphere and so he had decided to bravely speak out. After all, what was there to be aft raid of? He with out a doubt got his answer.

For a second all the group of boys just did was stare. the only thing that could be heard was the haggard breathing, or was it growling..? The thing reached out for him in, not that he could see, he felt the course flesh squeeze onto his arm and pull him forward so hard he slammed into something solid. A tree most likely.

"Waargh!?" He was only able to let out a short sounding cry before his body was slammed onto the ground. if it wasn't already dark he might of thought the thing knocked out his lights cause it would be a miracle if he was still conscious.

"Yanagi!?" He heard someone shout his name then he was surrounded by terror filled screams. There was the sound of footsteps pounding against the damp soil followed by loud shrieks. _Were they running away; leaving him here?_

* * *

One by one little boys ran through the dark, scattered like leaves in the the trees and about in the night. All of them trapped in darkness, unseen by light.

"In the greenest of our valleys  
By good angels tenanted,  
Once a fair and stately palace-  
Radiant palace- reared its head.  
In the monarch Thought's dominion-  
It stood there!  
Never seraph spread a pinion  
Over fabric half so fair!"

Their shadows stood hidden among the clusters of the trees.

"Can you hear them... the heart that which is so faint; it's always at its earnest when in fear?"

There was a coo.

* * *

"What the fucks going on!?" Kirihara exclaimed as they reached a top of a hill.

"Kirihara!?" Sanada exclaimed upon hearing the boy's voice.

The moon was high in the sky; its faint light reflected and gave somewhat enough light for sight. There was now several boy's huddled together at the foot of a hill.

"Fu-Fuku-buchou!?" Kirihara responded in kind.

"Tezuka?" Fuji questioned with a pant. If Sanada was there Tezuka was likely also there as well.

"Fuji." Tezuka said flatly.

"Where's Yukimura!?" Sanada asked angrily.

"I-I he's here... I think?" Kirihara answered with trepidation trying his best not to anger his vice-captain.

"YOU think?" Sanada said unable to believe what a complete moron Kirihara could be sometimes.

Ryoma stood besides the other boys that they had bumped into while in the forests. So far it seamed like everyone was together aside from Tachibana, Yanagi, and the rest from the third group.

Marui had come running in last looking like the hounds of hell were at his heels.

"W-We h-have to ge-get out of here! Y- Yanagi... Yana-"

"Calm down..." Inui instructed with his other arm now falling limply at his side and the other still holding onto a note book.

"What h-happened?" Oishi asked in confusion, his voice was shaky. Kikumaru was latched onto his arm. Fuji was very thankful.

"We heard screaming?" Momo said after safely locating An. It was afterwards he located his best bud. Ryoma didn't respond to him and shrugged the boy's arm off when he tried to rest it on his shoulder.

"O-Oi Echizen!" Momo exclaimed in frustration but the smaller boy didn't seem to hear him. He watched as the boy slowly approached another figure. He couldn't really make out the figure in the faint light.

"Yuki...mura?" Ryoma questioned at the boy now in front of him.

Sanada turned to face the Ryoma and the other who were standing somewhat more distant than the rest. Sanada instantly realized that it was in fact his captain and he was safe. He relaxed, much to Kirihara's relief.

However, Yukimura didn't respond. In fact he wasn't even starring at the boy besides him. It was like he was in some trance.

"Th-This isn't a joke! I-In the fo-forest EYES!" Marui continued in fright.

Ryoma turned his eyes to whatever Yukimura was apparently starring at which caused his eyes to open. The rest soon followed.

The driver stood with his eyes silently pinned to the sight. His face became pale and his mouth dry. _No... it... it CANT be!_

_"In the greenest of our valleys  
By good angels tenanted,  
Once a fair and stately palace-  
Radiant palace- reared its head.  
In the monarch Thought's dominion-  
It stood there!  
Never seraph spread a pinion  
Over fabric half so fair!"_

A little further un the hill stood a large eerie mansion that, in the dark, was the only thing that was fully bathed in the moonlight.

* * *

Yeah! Finally done!

hm... I don't think this story will have as much Yaoi as I initially thought. I like to write M rated stuff but absolutely _not_ at the cost of the plot.

Lets see how it works out.

Anyway, I don't know about anyone one else but I've never liked An in the least, she pisses me off. As usual blame it on the yaoi fan girl in me. Either way, I'd rather read/watch something that's mainly yaoi or has little to no hetero pairings. Of course their are exceptions. bleach, naruto, vampire knight, gakuen alice, nura, etc.

Any way plz tell me what yall thinks!


	2. Haven

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the spectacular Prince of Tennis!

Chapter 2:

Haven

"I-It's a house?" Kawamura muttered at the sight of the vast property looming before them. He was the first to break the trance causing several to follow.

It looked like it could have been from an old painting hanging on the walls in some museum some place, a beautiful yet sullen portrait. It looked, from this distance, to be made from brick. Once a gorgeous white monument of the wealthy, if anyone were to guess by it's now stale, yellow-brown appearance. there were also about two withered trees that might have been glorious in their era. Now, they probably weren't even wanted by termites.

"A haunted one no doubt..." Kirihara mumbled to no one In particular earning him several displeasing looks from the group of boys. "What!?" Kirihara couldn't believe them after everything that had just occurred." Have you guys already forgotten the blood!?" He said in frustration.

"Blood?" Tezuka repeated in a bit of confusion as a few others from the first group looked around surprised.

"What the hell is Kirihara talking about!?" Atobe exclaimed not at all pleased. If there was any blood it better be from someone working and sweating to get him the hell out of this crazy forest. He wasn't an Atobe for nothing. He looked to the group of other boys accusingly.

"And what was that screaming for?" Sanada added.

Oishi looked like he was about to keel over at the mention of the topics but before anyone could give a response there came the ominous shuffling of leaves from the foot of the forests that they had just escaped. Everyone had fallen silent all except Marui.

"SHIT!" He exclaimed as he ran like a mad man towards the house, leaving the others behind in unfortunate ignorance. He wasn't about to stay down there and risk his hide._ Haunted house-smaunted house!_ "I'm not staying out here!"

"B-Bunta!?" Atobe called to his team member in surprise but the boy was already swerving up the path leading to the small mansion.

"What the hell's gotten into him?" Momoshiro asked in even more confusion. To make it all worst, the next thing they knew Ryoma was also following in Bunta's footsteps, of course with more grace. "E-Echizen!?"

Ryoma didn't exactly know why but the moment he saw Marui take off he could feel something once again. It was that awful feeling he had gotten several times just before something bad had happened. He wasn't so much as afraid as he was wanting to escape from that creeping feeling. _Get your self together... _

"We should discuss this matter later." Inui suddenly interrupted with a slight tremor in his voice. He had been gazing into the dark foliage of the trees only a second before. " If we go by on anything that's been mentioned earlier by Kirihara and Bunta, something is obviously wrong and it would be bad to remain here." And just like that, He adjusted his glasses and began moving swiftly towards the mansion. The rest didn't hesitate to follow.

There was deep growl that was released after the group of boys had neared the haven in the opening, but of course, it went unheard. The leaves thrashed once again before there was complete silence.

* * *

The house was old but that didn't mean breaking in was going to be easy, which it wouldn't have been, had they broken in. Instead, the moment Marui had gotten to the door it was already creaked open. Either someone had left in a hurry, someone didn't know to lock the door or... Marui didn't want to think up that last possibility. A short while after Echizen had walked through the threshold cradling his head, and an even shorter while after collapsed on the floor. Well, that was unexpected.

"E-Echizen!?" Momoshiro exclaimed as he walked in almost tripping over said boy. He had ran ahead of Inui and the others in search of his friend who for some reason kept insisting on being difficult ever since the trip began, and to think things were just moving so smoothly before. He reached down and held the petite form in his arms. "Oi.. champ wakey-wakey." He pinched the boys cheeks, a action that would easily annoy the other boy awake. There was only a groan.

"Hm? What happened to the brat?" Atobe asked walking in. After him came Inui and the others who quickly crowed around barely able to make out each other.

"Ochibi?" Kikumaru kneeled before him and Momo. "Nya! Will Ochibi be okay?" He said in a worried tone. "He looks sick."

"Let me take a look at him." Oishi said kneeling beside the group on the floor. tiles, by the feel of it.

"What happened?" It was Tezuka who spoke. Again, they were surrounded by that damnable darkness, he couldn't see a thing. At least outside under the moon there was some streams of light. Then again wasn't it brighter just a moment ago? Oh yeah, the extra light had been coming in through the door, speaking of which when did it close? Strange, he was sure he had been the last one through seeing as he had taken longer to enter as he was doing a bit of observation. He was so rapt in thought that he almost missed Marui's response.

"...just walked in and collapsed." He said still panting a bit. He had out done himself with that sprint. Coach Sakaki would have been proud. "You guys sure he wasn't like.. sick before he came?"

"Positive." Inui affirmed. "All of us were thoroughly checked out before we even boarded the plane."

"Yeah, besides the brat was fine earlier on the bus, if he wasn't he'd have been too tired to give us all that lip and even more tired to not listen and come out here anyways." Atobe so kindly added. "Right Kabaji?"

"Usu."

"Alright... lets try and get things in order." Sanada spoke.

"Order...?" Eiji whined. "Can't we just huddle together safely in a corner until it's lighter out?"

"Unfortunately that is out of the question." Yukimura supplied finally speaking. "We don't even know what's happened to the others who are still missing from the teams and a few things need to be explained."

"Honestly, we should have just stayed put... we not only didn't find Ryuzaki Sensei but we lost the others, now we have to find them too." Tachibana spoke up in spite of his broken ankle. Kamio didn't seem to have any qualms about carrying his captain around on his back, in spite of him being much heavier. It was because of Kamio's efforts that he had even made it this far.

"Find them...?" Marui muttered. "There's nothing to find because they're _all _dead!"

There was silence for a moment before the words were processed and just as quickly dismissed in everyone's head. Well, just the heads of those who had first ventured off the bus.

"That's... not true." Oishitari spoke. He refused to believe such a thing could ever happen. However, it was hard for him to sound convincing when Marui began to sob. for heaven's sakes he was _crying!?_

"Y-Yanagi... everyone." It was through much incoherent tears and sobbing that Marui explained to them just what had happened to his group and what he saw. THE EYES. Normally, most of them would have ignored or question the validity of his statement. But normally, Marui didn't cry, and especially not like this. Also, it would have been beneath him to make up such a story while facing this situation. Plus, even if that was the case, Marui would have had to recently developed acting skills that deserved an Oscar, to pull it off.

"Saa... our side of the story would also make sense then." Fuji imputed not long after Marui's dreadful tale.

"Fuji?" Tezuka questioned. Everyone was silent but attentive. the only sounds that could be heard were the drying up of Marui's tears.

"About the blood Kirihara mentioned earlier... _that_ took place with our group." Fuji then went on to explain the events of what had happened to them.

"...Wait so it was Echizen that had found the phone?" Inui questioned after hearing the story. "How?"

"Don't know actually... he sort of just _did_." Fuji said knowing his answer wasn't really an answer. "It was far too dark so I suppose he just felt it on the ground some where?" He paused recalling the event which caused a slight frown on his features before continuing." He was freaking out quite a bit prior to his collapse."

"I see maybe they were connected? Probably the stress of finding out something bad must have happened. Echizen is still quite young. That being said he should be waking up soon."

And just as Inui called it, at that moment Ryoma's brain seemed to reactivate and he let out a gasp of air as if he just busted through a surface of water.

"Echizen!"

* * *

Even though he had been walking away from the forest it felt as if the feeling inside him was only getting worse. He could feel a bizarre sense of nausea taking over and it felt like the world was spinning. Voices... he could hear voices in his head that were soft and sweet like the distant humming of a bird. But with each step the voices became more loud and defined. More grueling and intertwined forming a cacophony, never before heard, that pierced his head like a giant needle.

Screams of torment.

Joyous laughter.

Gurgling tears.

shouts of hatred.

words of love.

pleas of help.

prayers of redemption.

Then he had stumbled over the threshold of the house he had completely forgotten about in his anguish when the final nail in the coffin was hammered. it was as if all the matter inside his head was expanding all at once and he couldn't control it. The pain was so severe that after a small moment he loss all sense of everything. it all went black. The final sounding of the cacophony: the silence of death.

_"Sylvie?" He walked towards the side of the manor peering his head stealthfully around with a large grin. "Where are you hiding?" Sylvette always proved to be a master at hiding even though she was only seven years old. Still, in the end her giggles always gave her away. "Je cherche pour toi." _

_The area was seeming quiet. 'Never judge a book by it's cover!' or so his father always said. Like a fox, he suck around the corner and ducked behind a blooming patch of daisies. There was a small giggle. it was brief, but he was sure he heard it. He let loose a brilliant smile that always had the noblewomen adoring him. She was near by. He drew closer to the forest in front of him at the sight of rustling leaves. _

_"Voila! found her!" he dashed towards the bushes. "Syl-ouch!" His head connected with something very hard. It took him a moment after bumping his head to realize what happened. "...qui?" He was starring at dark brown eyes, freckles and curly chocolate locks. _

_A boy._

_He received a sneer from the other boy who was now standing and towering above him. He was about a foot taller than himself. He had never seen this other kid before, not that he'd seen any in months besides Sylvette but that didn't matter. The boy was wearing old dusty loafers and trousers with red suspenders and a bleached button-down shirt. He looked like an old paper boy he'd seen before while driving through town for the very first time. It brought him back to the memories of first arriving here in Germany to live in this house with his father, mother and little sister, Sylvie._

_"Salut, my name's Eveille! who're you?" He smiled and stood to his feet in spite of the disapproving look the other child was giving him. The boy quickly gave him a once over before grabbing his arm and pulling him into the forest._

_"W-Wait!" He said in surprise. He wasn't suppose to step foot out the yard! "Sil vous plait!"_

_Suddenly the other kid paused just when they were out of sight of any windows in the large house. "Alright you spoiled brat... is that real?" The boy pointed to the diamond earrings that were shimmering on both his ears. _

_Evielle gave a nod. "Oui.. porquoi?" He asked the obviously older boy in confusion. Yes they were real, very real. But what did that matter?_

_"Give them to me." The boy stated flatly._

_"Oh like a gift?" Evielle smiled removing both knobs from each ear and cupping them in his hands. "If I do will you tell me your name?" _

_The other boy paused for a moment before saying, "Hugo."_

_"Okay got it!" Evielle was in shock, had he just made a friend so easily? Should he tell his father? No... His father would obviously disapprove. He didn't like Evielle making friends with anyone. Still he didn't want to lie._

_"You have more don't you?" A small smile crept across the other boys face as he watched the younger child before him nod with enthusiasm. Stupid rich kids. _

_"Yes."_

_"Good, now tell no one I was here."_

"What the hell..." Ryoma groaned. "what kind of child... you didn't even bother to ask why the kid was there...?"

"Echizen?" Ryoma turned still feeling a faint pang in his head as he heard someone call his name. Everything was dark again so why did he feel like all eyes were on him?

* * *

Everyone had been eager for the champion to open his eyes and tell them more about Ryuzaki sensei, but the moment he seemed to catch his senses he began babbling something completely irrelevant.

"Why who was where?" Momo asked. It was then that he noticed he was sitting up in the dunk smash players arm. Without even answering the question Ryoma pulled away in spite of the headache he still possessed. "Oi.. what do you think your doing..? you need to relax." Momo said in displeasure at having the boy remove himself as if there was something wrong with him.

"Where are we... it's dark again." Well, darker than it was before.

"You forgot? We ran into a house." Oishitari supplied.

A house.

The same house from his dream.

Evielle.

He gripped his head as another round of pain began to grow. He really did need to relax. He felt smooth, cool hands reach out to him and he didn't resist. He knew it was either Fuji or Yukimura. Of course it was the latter. Ryoma decide he would question weather or not the child of god had eyes that could pinpoint people in the dark later and settled into the embrace.

It was after he settled down that he noticed the dense amount of fear and hopelessness that had consumed the air. Everyone seemed lost and somewhat distant as if they were slowly being lost like little marbles scattered in the dark, rolling away from each other. "How long have I been out?"

"Not long..." An said her voice soft and tired. She was sitting on the floor somewhere besides her brother and Kamio. She hated to think what spiders and other creatures were roaming around this place.

"You guys can fill him in." Sanada said with a sigh as he was heard standing to his feet. "Inui I could use your help and Atobe can I borrow Kabaji?"

"hmp?" Atobe said curiously. "And pray tell just where are you going?"

"To find a generator. This house is old and looks like really wealthy people lived here. There's bound to be a generator somewhere. At least with some light everyone can calm down and try to think things threw."

There were a few sounds of agreement. Soon Sanada and the other two left. The remaining boys listened in apprehension to their footsteps disappearing down some unkown hall.

"Honestly... still splitting up after everything that's happened?" Marui grumbled.

"We're inside now... it's safer so lets not think about that." Oishi insisted. Safer but not safe.

"Did you guys tell them..?" Ryoma questioned.

"Well yes, but it seems Marui had an even worse experience than us. Basically, we all now suspect there's something out there-"

"Something unnatural." Marui added.

"-That's er... might have harmed our team members and Ryuzaki Sensei." Yukimura continued as if he hadn't heard Marui in the first place.

"Ryuzaki is dead." Ryoma said so flatly it startled a good amount of them.

"Echizen in spite of the situation there's no reason to talk-" Oishi was saying but was cut off.

"I SAW." Ryoma spat adamantly. And just as he had said it he regretted it.

There was silence.

Most people would have probably have been in tears at this point or half way loosing their minds after hearing that people so close to them were dead. Maybe it was because every one was in shock so they couldn't process it well. Or it could be that it just didn't seem real. Sometimes after hearing that a close relative has died people don't even begin to really get the picture until they're at the funeral and they see the body in the coffin. Then the start the waterworks. Unlike Marui and Ryoma who did witness firsthand it was no wonder they were almost a wreck. Others probably believed they'd fall asleep and wake up tomorrow and Ryuzaki sensei and the gang would reappear with smiles on their faces.

"What?" A few people asked simultaneously.

At the risk of sounding like a insane person Ryoma quickly switched approaches. "Red eyes... that's what you saw right Marui? Before everyone was killed?"

"...Echizen you?" Marui began confused but quickly shook it off. "Yeah, burning red eyes that was it!" He said sounding more happy now knowing he wasn't the only one who had seen and that he was in fact not crazy.

"But how...? Echizen was with us the entire time right? I mean even after we all began running our group wasn't really split up, we all kind of took off in the same direction that's how we were all able to meet up here." An began talking again. Her voice was worsening Ryoma's headache.

"Not only that but, even though Marui mentioned them before when we were outside he didn't describe them as red either. At least not until we got here and Echizen collapsed." She continued.

"Maybe he was still somewhat conscious?" Kirihara said sounding a bit peeved. There the brat was again trying to get all the attention.

"No I checked..." Oishi said.

"Let's not forget how he also guided us with the screen light as if he knew exactly were the blood on the ground was... if I didn't know any better I'd say he was a telepath? It's such a funny concept isn't it? but if he was why would it just start now? it makes no sense. of course it doesn't because the concept itself is foolish. Not that it isn't possible.. just not logical. Then again some man eating beast in the forest isn't any better..." Shiji began mumbling to himself.

"Hoi hoi.. someone stop him I don't think I would be able to handle it if he started doing that in the middle of all this darkness," Eiji pleaded, "way too creepy..."

Just that moment there was a loud scream

Everyone stopped instantly frozen; unable to move until after the shrill sound was gone. There was a loud sound of footsteps and the toppling over of furniture and glass. An screamed again holding tightly onto her brother and the others huddled together in fright. Kirihara had apparently marked the door because he was now pounding on it to open. About thirty seconds later the lights flickered on until they were as bright as they could be.

"W-What the fuck!?" Kirihara exclaimed as everyone was now silently looking around In confusion.

Ryoma was shocked by the sudden illumination but even more so by the scream that had occurred moments before. It was strange, you'd think some red-eyed demon had broken in after all the noise that followed, but he didn't have any weird sensations at all.

The entire mansion was lit. The space was now clear as day. They were sitting at the foot of a large dinning area and above them was a large, old staircase. And above that was a very, very, very high ceiling with a crystal chandelier at the top. To the right was a large arch that led into some unknown passage and to the left the dinning room was centered with a few more entry ways branching off into unknown directions. one passage apparently led to a sun room. The door was glass and through it a few comfy furniture could be seen facing out wards most likely to view the forests and flowers outside. It was looking in that direction that you could see Marui sprawled on his face next to a tiny toppled arm chair, lamp and a broken figurine.

"So that was it, Marui you idiot, you gave me a heart attack!" Atobe exclaimed.

"S-Sorry... I panicked and just ran!" He defended as Oshitari helped him back to his feet.

Fuji gave an impressed whistle. "Saa isn't this place unusual?" He was pointing out the collection of bizarre paintings on the wall and weird statues that were decoratively placed around the room. Everything else looked quite quaint. Like early to mid nineteen century stuff. The floor was indeed tiled. It was a sand-like color with beautiful milky white designs. There was a dark wood colored rug that ran from the stairs and most likely up through the halls from there as well. the walls were a kind of crème white that went well with the furniture and everything else. It would have been quite a sight to behold had everything not been covered in decades of dust, rust and filth.

"It seems Sanada and the others were successful." Tezuka stated.

"But.. Where are they?" Oishi asked his voice full of concern.

"You don't think..." Eiji gulped. "that scream was?"

"Don't be so over dramatic Eiji... we're all fine." Inui said as he walked into the room from the left. He didn't have his note book in hand. Sanada and Kabaji followed.

"Usu." He said before taking his place back at Atobe's side.

"Then... Then... what was that scream before?" Marui asked skeptically. hell no, he wasn't taking any chances!

"That was... a minor complication." Inui said once again looking flushed.

"He got startled by a spider web." Sanada so courteously clarified.

"I told you it felt like someone grabbed me!" Inui exclaimed in frustration.

"Pft..." Everyone busted into laughter. "Ne.. Inui-sempai how thick was this web?" Ryoma teased. Picking on his sempai did take his mind off his headache.

"Echizen..." Oishi said supposedly in chastisement but he too wore a small smile.

"Hoi... hoi... Inui-sempai is a man of science!" Eiji said coming to Inui's defense.

"Eiji... you do know what he said was more paranormal than scientific right?" Fuji said a bit amused.

The other players laughed even more.

"Honestly... these Seigaku players?" Atobe sighed. "If Ore-sama wasn't there to witness it in person Ore-sama would have never believed they won a thing."

"He does mean _loose_ in person right?" Momoshiro muttered.

"Excuse Ore-sama!?"

The others laughed.

Tezuka stood still as he watched the players interact. It was surprising what some light could do. It seemed all the fear and worry had easily slipped to the recesses of their minds. There was no longer any thing moving around or making any shadows in the darkness that could put them on edge. There was a sense of security. Or maybe it wasn't that they had forgotten, but choose to forget. Even if it was for the moment. It was, after all the human like thing to do. No one likes feeling afraid and we always try to push fear away at any chance we can get. And what do humans fear the most?

The Unknown.

We build ideas, theories and logic to keep us safe from things we don't understand. The things we find that don't fit into our circle of knowledge are the things we run from, or worse yet, try to destroy. Like back in the earlier stages of man when women were burned at the stake for being what people believed were witches. All because they had no form of knowledge. And right now, all of them were surrounded by no form of knowledge. They were trapped by the unknown.

Still Tezuka was happy, at least for the moment, to see all the players smiling and laughing with each other in spite of the odd circumstances. Even so, there were many things he didn't like about this place other than the obvious. The thing with the door still bothered him and the fact that Kirihara was trying to beat it down to get it open. At least now that there was light, he felt he could investigate it more clearly. He stepped away from the group and over towards the door. He took a good look at it. It was large, thick and most likely made from an oak tree by the looks of it. The handle was rusted so couldn't really tell weather it was silver or gold. He reached out for the handle slowly. Some part of his mind was telling him to walk away, that he was better off not knowing, but he wouldn't back down. After another moments hesitation he gripped the handle. He was simply going to open a door and yet he had worked up some sweat along his brow. Turn it? Or don't turn it?

"...Saa I think you should turn it." Fuji smiled gaining the bespectacled captain's attention.

"Fuji... when did you?" Tezuka peered behind him to check on the others but they still seemed preoccupied with each other and Yukimura was being distracted by Sanada.

Fuji shrugged and placed his hands over his captains. "Are your palms getting sweaty?" He let one of his dazzling smiles fall across his feminine like lips. "Ready?"

A slight pink traced across Tezuka's cheek along with a tick mark on his head. "Seriously Syusuke sometimes you..." But he didn't finish as Fuji went ahead and turned the handled.

There was an audible click. Together they gave a slight push and the door creaked open. Traces of moonlight mixed with the light from inside. They didn't bother to open the door further choosing not to view the foot of the forests surrounding them.

"It's open." Tezuka said sounding slightly surprised. Fuji let go of his hand and gave a nod of approval.

"Seems our suspicions weren't confirmed. it's really rare that we're wrong." Fuji smiled then gave a sigh before walking away. "I'd better tell him, and just when I thought things were getting interesting."

Tezuka didn't bother to ask who else might of shared his suspicion. No doubt it was Yukimura. Wait, what did Fuji just say? How could things possibly get more interesting? For goodness sakes half of their friends could be dead! but he left things about the tensai there. Instead, he closed the door again, then reopened it. He did this several times. Could he really have just imagined it? It was probably just the damn darkness and the fear that had gotten to his head. What did he think? The door would be miraculously closed and they'd all be trapped in there for all eternity? He really was over thinking things.

Well, seeing as that was over his next priority on the list was Echizen. He let his eyes wonder over to the boy leaning next to the captain of Rikkai. since when were those two so close? It didn't matter. Yukimura was just as sharp as Fuji and he was probably keeping a close eye on the boy. No doubt he and Fuji also already took notice. There was something wrong with said boy. It was there before them, as visible as the wind, but otherwise it could be felt. Explained? Not so much. It was just another hunch, but if they were lucky it would soon be dismissed as simply as their suspicion of the door.

"...How ..how can you all stand there laughing and making fun?" A voice cut in over all the laughter and chatting. everyone fell silent and turned to a form huddle by himself in a corner. "Do any of you... you.. EVEN KNOW WHERE WE ARE!?"

Ryoma raised an eyebrow at the man's sudden outburst. "Oh, I'd forgot about you." He said shamelessly. "The driver."

"Yeah... hey whats with all they yelling!?" Momo asked the man yelling himself.

But the driver didn't seem to hear him. He had a look of full terror on his face. His eyes were darting around from side to side as if he expected something to appear from out of nowhere and rip him to shreds. Momo was gearing to yell at him again but he lost the conviction at the sight of the tears that started falling from the grown man's eyes. "Have you forgotten all that's happened!?" He yelled again.

If they had momentarily forgotten where they all were they certainly didn't anymore. On a trip. lost in a forest. At night. stuck in a house. Alone, except with a crying adult. Oh, and everyone one else is probably hurt or dead. Yep. reality came back and it wasn't looking pretty.

It was Fuji who walked over to the man, kneeled down and began rubbing his cheek. After a small moment the adult began to calm down. "Shh... it's okay."

"He really is too good at that." Atobe said a little shocked at the tensai's action. Who knew he cared even for adults as pathetic as that? Leave him to be the only one crying in a roomful of kids. Maybe Fuji really did have a big heart?

"Now... you said something about where we are. Do you know?" The tensai pressed on still giving off his charming million dollar smile.

_I take it back. information, I should have known. Why else would the tensai get on his knees for anyone other than Tezuka? He loved sucking up._ it was after he had the thought that Atobe chastised himself.

"...I was born in Japan, but I grew up here in rural Germany with my family. we owned a small farm out here."

"Oh god he's gonna give us a biograpghy." Kirihara groaned.

"When I was old enough I moved to the city to get a job. it was hard but I finally got one as a driver... my education wasn't exactly top of the line growing up where I did. I have very few skills... and-"

"Hmm... yes and this place your so afraid of?" Fuji said feigning patience.

"B-Back at home when I was growing up here... the other families that lived nearby, we'd meet sometimes. We'd eat, drink, and tell stories. Lots of which were scary. And one specifically being a- about th-this place." It was now that everyone seemed to become genuinely interested. "They use to say th-that on s-some lost road, if you make a wrong t-turn, you'll come to an old forest. I-In th-that forest is... is... an old town. A-An above th-that town hidden even deeper is a-an old mansion resting on a hill. Th-The haunted Rosewald palace."

"...The haunted Rosewald palace?" Sanada repeated more clearly.

"It w-was known a-as a pa-palace back wh-when people used to-to live in that town b-because th-they were all so poor."

"Saa.. what happened to all the people?" Fuji asked curiously. He didn't seem spooked in the least.

"Th-There was a disease... some say and it m-made the people sick and they all died... others say they be-became monsters."

"An entire town?" Inui said in incredulously. "I wonder if it was the bubonic plague." obviously he wasn't convinced. An entire town of people dead with no survivor? unlikely.

"And what about this place?" Kawamura asked curiously. "Why do they say it's haunted?"

"The st-story goes th-that the entire family was murdered here by a group of thieves..."

The headache that Ryoma had almost forgotten was beging to return.

_ "If I do will you tell me your name?" _

_"Hugo."_

His stomach began to churn and his head began a repetition of painful pulsing.

"The f-father's n-name was Peter... his wife Catherine... and their two ch-children-"

"Evielle and Sylvette." Ryoma finished the sentence for the man causing everyone to pause and look at him in shock, especially the driver.

Everyone gave a quick glance back to the driver for confirmation who gave a mute nod. "He's... right."

Tezuka gazed at Ryoma as the boy placed a hand towards his temple. Fuji, Yukimura and even Sanada seemed to be giving him the same calculating look as well as Inui.

"Nya Ochibi... how did you know the story..?" Kikumaru thew his arms around the smaller player. Ryoma stumbled forward a bit. "Ne are you okay?"

"...Hai?" But the truth was the room was getting kind of dizzy. He did his best to steady his vision and calm his head. _No way am I passing out again! _Instantly he felt some relief and the pain began dissipating somewhat, at least to a more bearable level. _strange did I just now..._

"Well?" Atobe asked still waiting for the answer. Ryoma looked towards him pulled from his thought. "Who already told you the story?"

"No one I just...?" Ryoma couldn't think of a way to Answer and as if sensing this Fuji came to his rescue.

"Well Mr. Driver why don't you continue we can question Echizen later."

After a small moment the man gave a nod. "Th-ey say the father was some kind of strange d-doctor who ran ex-p-periments and he never once sh-showed the face of his son or wife in p-ublic. S-Some say he k- killed them long be-fore the th-theives e-even got t- to the house and that it was his disease that w-wiped out the town. A-Also a-anyone who trespasses into the forest will fall to the s-same disease that took the townsfolk, and in his house well... he'll m-murder a-anyone the same way he did his w-ife and kid." The man was back to tears. "B-Bottom line? Once your in th-there's no escaping."

"Oh please!" Atobe broke in. "That's just a story to scare kid's to sleep. Besides, we've been in here for about an hour and not a single one of us has gone missing or is harmed in anyway. My guess is, somewhere along the line someone got their facts mixed up." Atobe turned to Kabaji. "right?"

"Usu."

"There you have it." Atobe stated as if Kabaji's answer was worth all the validation of the world. He was about to say something else when the driver began to speak again. This time all the tremor had cesed in his voice.

"You know... I used to believe that too and still did up until we crashed here..."

"What are you talking about now?" Kirihara sighed.

"I used to have an older brother you know? One night he and his friend decided they were going to find this place for real and see it for real. I was there the night he snuck out and stole the truck. The next day they didn't return. Ten years later and no ones seen a single hair on either of their heads or that red truck. I always thought they stole it and skipped town. That they left to find a better life somewhere. you know... just being young reckless kids. But you want to know the real reason I never believed they actually came to this cursed place...?"

No one said anything.

"The reason was because the story I just told you was entirely made up!" He burted out into a fit of hysterical laughter. "It was all just a story! No one actually believed this place was real!" He continued as if he had lost his mind. "There's no town full of dead people! No disease! No crazy doctor or even this house! There isn't any because it DOES NOT EXSIT!" the driver was now rolling around on the ground his limbs flailing as if he was having a seizer. "Not real. Not real. Just some rural legend. EVERTHING HERE IS IMAGINEGED. the kids, this house, this forest, and what about me? I'm still just a twelve year old kid dreaming in his bed the night his brother disappeared. Him? He's floating a boat right now in Venice!"

It was Kirihara who had brought down a lamp on the man's head. "What?" Kirihara asked as everyone stared as him in surprise. The driver was now laying silently on the floor knocked out cold. "Was I the only one thinking along this line?"

For the first time Kirihara wasn't reprimanded. "Ore-sama told you he had lost his mind!"

"Atobe you said nothing of the sorts." Tezuka said sweat dropping.

"Oh well, his story didn't make any sense anyways. If it was a disease that killed the townsfolk, assuming that there even is a town, and the family that lived here is dead, what the hell was in the forest then?" An stated looking a little more than spooked. If she decided to loose her head next Ryoma would be more than happy to bring a lamp down on it.

"A ghost..."Shiji mumbled. It was a wonder he wasn't already in a long tirade to himself. Or maybe he was? Just for the first time in his own head.

"True... but what really bothers me is that he said this place didn't exist and that unexpected reaction." Fuji said standing to his feet and thoughtfully folding his arm across his chest.

"What do you mean Fujiko? didn't we agree he was crazy, nya?" Eiji said leaning onto Oishi. Said boy had a light blush over his cheeks.

"Perhaps.." Yukimura said with a distant look obviously in thought.

"Furthermore... if he were entirely crazy Ryoma wouldn't have been able to add to his story." Sanada added then as an after thought "Unless he was so crazy he simply just went along with whatever Echizen said..." Eyes were now on said boy.

Honestly why go into so much thought?" Momo interrupted. "He obviously didn't know what he was talking about. Honestly he said that _we_ of all things were imagined and this place! if it were really just a story then how the hell are we even in this situation in the first place!?"

"Calm down Momshiro we all-"

"wait quiet." Ryoma said suddenly cutting of the captain of Fudomine.

"Echizen you-" Kirihara began but fell silent at Sanada's glare.

Ryoma held a finger over his lips and his eyes ran towards the stairs and up to the ceilling. "Listen."

Everyone did as followed. There was complete silence.

"I don't hear any-"

"Shh... I hear it." Fuji sharply cut off Eiji much to the acrobatic players displeasure.

It was faint.

"Me too." Came Yukimura's voice then Tezuka's.

pat. pat. pat.

pat. pat. pat.

"Crap I actually hear it!" Momo yelled in surprise. Everyone threw him a glare for yelling and he returned it with a sheepish smile. "Sorry." He whispered back.

It grew louder, and even Kamio who had been calmly listening to his head sets took them out to see what all the fuss was about.

thud. thud. thud.

thud. thud. thud.

"Holy shit..." There was now a lump in Marui's throat and he could feel his adrenaline building up once again.

Footsteps; the sound became deffening in the large room. It was coming from upstairs. then after another moment there was complete silence. Of course Fuji was the first to speak.

"Ne, Shinji? What were you muttering about ghosts before?" There was a visible smirk on the Tensai's face.

* * *

That's all folks!

WOW I FINISH CHAPTER TWO!

I hope it was interesting. took me almost this entire day to complete. anyway it gets way _more_ interesting. Trust me it's no where near this black and white. anyway it still has some error cause I didn't read over but I'm so thrilled to put this up that I'll do it later. And plz review and tell me what yall think. even if it's one word cause it can really get a girl going.

I probably wont be able to update too soon maybe until summer... drag. but if I can I'll be sure to soon. I'll be able to do both my stories more frequently during the summer so until then Auvoir!

PS. this time it was much shorter yah! though... I wasn't planning on ending it here. Oh well.


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